Vehicle-wheel



(No Model.)

ROHRER.

VEHICLE WEEEL.

No. 460,183. Patented Sept.'29, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ROIIRER, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

VEH ICLE-WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,183, datedSeptember 29, 1891.

Application filed .Tune l2, 1889. Serial No, 314,070. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that. I, HENRY ROHRER, a citizen and resident of San Diego,in the county of San Diego, State of California, have invented animprovement in XVagon, Carriage, and Buggy XVheel Rims and wheel-rimsfor all kinds of roadway-vehicles having spoked wheels, of whichinvention the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are, first, to counter-balance or counteractautomatically the expansion and contraction occurring' in wooden rims orfellies caused by heat and cold, damp, drought, or otherwise; second, toallow the expansion and contraction of the rim simultaneously with thatof the tire; third, to

hold the rim firmly within and against the tire; fourth, to giveelasticity to a Wheel in case of sudden or excessive strain, and, fifth,to allow the compression at Will by a suitable machine of wheel-rims forthe purpose of putting on, removing, or replacing tires. I attain theseobjects by placing upon the ends of the fellies of any spoked wheel anattachment, Which is more particularly described as follows, referencebeing had to the drawings annexed to and made part hereof.

In the drawings, Figure I representsa segment of a spoked wheel havingthe ends of the fellies fitted with my improvement. Fig. 2 represents asection of myinvention upon the abutting ends of a pair of,wheel-fellies. Fig. 3 represents a portion of my invention hereinafterdesignated as the spring-box, with the springs therein, but without itscover. Fig. 4 represents a section of spring-box with springs and covercomplete.

I now describe in their order the details of my invention.

l. The shell-This is a metal casing of such size and shape as to fitclosely around the meeting or abutting ends of the fellies of a Wheel,Figs. l and 2. Said felly ends hav-4 ing been previously reduced in sizeon all sides by an amount equal to the thickness of the sides of thecasing and so as to cause the casing and fellies to make a smooth andcontinuous surface when the felly ends are inserted to the full extentcontemplated by my contrivance, Figs. 1 and 2, the outer ends of thesides of this shell or casing are brought to a feather edge on theirinner face. The casing is divided into two compartments bya metaltransverse partition at or near the center of the shell, and thepartition has through the center a circular hole.

2. The sprz'fng-bomf-'Ihis second portion of myinvention consists of ashallow metal box (c in Figs. 2, 3, and 4) of a size to tit snugly whenlaid within said casing iiat upon the partition. (See Fig. 2.) Said boxmay be divided into two or any number greater than two compartments,Fig. 3. In the drawings and in descriptions herein the same isrepresented as having four square compartments of equal size, Fig. Ineach of said compartments la spring, more particularly hereinafterdescribed, is placed, said springs being of a size to tit loosely withinsaid compartment. and to project a short distance above and beyond thetops of the boxes l) b b Z9, Fig. A dat metal plate 0r cover of sameshape and size as the bottom of the box and with edges slightly raised,placed above the box and upon the tops of the projecting springs, formsthe cover tothe spring-box c in Figs. 2 and 4l. A rivet or screw isfixed in the center of the box-cover, but in such a manner as to allowthe cover to work freely up and down, and in placing spring-box in shellit is placed cover inward, so that the rivet-heads are opposite hole inpartition c in Fig. 2. Two of these spring-boxes are intended to beplaced in the casing, one on each side of and flat vagainst thetransverse partition thereof previous to inserting the ends of thefellies in said casing, Fig. 2. One or more additional spring-boxes maybe added in the casing should it be desired to increase the amount ofpossible compression and expansion of rim. The same may be furtherincreased by the addition of a iiat piece or pieces of rubber upon saidspring-boxes.

The springs-These are strips of steel so bent that the transversesection is V- shaped, b D, Figs. 3 and 4, their other dimensions beingsuch as to allow the springs to tit loosely in the partitions orcompartments of the box b bb '0, Fig.

I do not claim, taken separately and alone and aside from thecombination in said apparatus, the i'lat rubber pads, the reduced endsof the fellies in metal casing, the metal casing, or the V-shapedsprings taken sepa- IOO rateiy from their combination in said springboXor their combination in said apparatus.

I claim as my invention- In a Wagon-Wheel, the combination, with 5 thehub, spokes, and the felly-seotions having reduced ends, of the Hetrubber pads, the metal casings, jche spring-boxes, the V-shaped springincased therein, and the transverse rivets above said springs, wherebythe tire can be placed in position While o old and the v 1o felliesexpanded to retain it in place, substantially as specified.

HENRY ROHRER. Witnesses:

W. E. REID, H. H. PALMER, Jr.

